Kristin is a member of her student government and the National Junior Honor Society. She also plays the piano and flute, volunteers and dances six to seven days per week. She plans to enter the field of law or politics. "I am particularly interested in the study of human behavior and its relationship and impact on society," says Kristin.
Kristin's science hero is Ms. Tempest Diane Booth, her seventh-grade science teacher. "She has inspired, motivated and pushed me to reach higher levels in my thinking, my questioning, my knowledge and my research."
Kristin designed her project after reading a New York Times article entitled "New Jersey Is Trying New Way for Witnesses to Say 'It's Him.'" Kristin tested the use and effectiveness of a sequential lineup presentation versus a simultaneous or traditional "six-pack" lineup in eyewitness identifications. Kristin hypothesized that a sequential lineup presentation would decrease the number of false identifications by eyewitnesses without reducing the number of correct identifications.
Kristin randomly selected 200 participants ranging from 10 to 89 years old. Each participant viewed a 55-second mock crime-scene video and was asked to observe a photo lineup to identify the perpetrator. The results strongly supported Kristin's hypothesis. The sequential method resulted in 39 out of 100 false identifications, whereas the simultaneous or traditional method resulted in 84 out of 100 false identifications. Law enforcement agencies across the United States are adopting sequential lineup procedures, and Kristin hopes that implementing changes in eyewitness identifications will minimize the possibility of wrongly convicting innocent persons.
